Friday the 6th:
The Band Booster
Club is holding a silent
auction and dessert
banquet at Timberline.

11

Wednesday the 11th:
Early release day.
School ends at 12:20.

16

Monday the 16th:
Beginning of WASL
testing. The first part
of testing will continue
through March 29.

photo by Anthony Collins

[From left to right] Steven Berube, a junior, Patrick Stanton, a freshman, and seniors Angie Grizzle and Matt Hubbard play with the
band during the Opening Ceremony on Feb. 11. The event introduced the completed Timberline facility to the community.

Saturday the 21st:
The Band Booster Club
is holding a pancake
feed at Timberline beginning at 8:00 a.m.

25

Wednesday the 25th:
Parent-teacher conferences. No school from
March 25 to March 27.

27

Friday the 27th:
No school. Tolo is being held from 9 p.m. to
midnight in the commons.

THS

17 TIDBITS
21

Tuesday the 17th:
Choir concert in the
Timberline theater at
7:00 p.m.

By Staff Writer Nicole mercer

Student Store funds M.D.A.
Muscular dystrophy, a disease that
attacks the spinal cord
and makes people unable to walk, is becoming increasingly
common throughout
the world.
Students at Timberline
are being given
Zach Heying,
the
chance
to help fight
junior
MD in a fundraiser conducted by the student store and the Muscular
Dystrophy Association (MDA). Timberline
students will be able to donate money to help
the children and adults who suffer from MD.
The fundraiser began on Feb. 10 and will
end on March 17. The student store will be
selling green shamrocks for one dollar, gold
shamrocks for five dollars, and platinum
shamrocks for a ten dollars, to raise money
for this cause.
“Our goal is to raise at least 1,000 dollars
to help the people who suffer from MD,” said
Zach Heying, a junior. The funds will contribute to research for the development of the
cure, which has yet to be discovered.
“I think it is a good idea, it helps out people

and it is a good cause. I think I will donate,”
said Gabe Escobar, a senior.
At the end of the competition, the 4th
period that has donated the most money will
win an ice cream and pizza feed.
Fishing Club Sportsmen’s Night
Timberline’s fishing club will host
a
“Sportsmen’s
Night” on March
21. This event encompasses a fun
variety of activities ranging from a
spaghetti feed to a
Chase Brown,
silent auction and
senior
even, yes, casting
lessons in a fish tank. The entertainment begins at 12 p.m. and isn’t over until 8 p.m.
Junior Chase Brown said, “We do this
because it helps bring in donations from businesses because we show that we are involved
in the community. But, ultimately, we do this
to bring fishing to the community.”
‘Club 6120’ theme for Tolo
On March 27, Tolo is being held from
9 p.m. to midnight. Tolo is a semi-formal
dance, for which girls ask guys.
This year’s dance will be held on a Friday, because there is no school that day. This
year’s theme will be “Club 6120 Flashing
Lights.”
“Tolo is fun because you get to hang out
with friends. It is also fun that you don’t have
to dress up if you don’t want to,” said Caitlin
Thurman, a senior.

Just suck it up and donate
On March 13, Timberline High School will
host an annual blood drive. It will be held in
the auxillary gym and
students can sign up
any time after March 4.
“It is good to give people that are sick some
blood,” Kristian Dumé,
a sophomore, said.
There are a few restrictions on blood donation. Before they can
Kristian Dumé,
sign up, students must
sophomore
be at least 16 years of
age, have parental consent, and weigh over
110 pounds.
“I have wanted to do it ever since I saw
it as a freshman, but couldn’t because of the
age limit, and now I can,” Hailey Hilligoss, a
junior who looks to donate blood, said. “It is
kind of nerve-racking, but at the same time,
I would rather go through that to save somebody’s life,” she added.
Due to the construction around campus,
Timberline hasn’t participated in the blood
drive for the last two years, but students plan
on making up for it this year with record
numbers.
“Timberline generally has a very sucessful drive with over 100 donors on a regular
basis, and is considered the largest donor
group in Thurston County,” Pat Geiger, activities coordinator, said.
Sam Aguirre, a senior on leadership says
that so far, the donation calender is “filled.”
“That is tight because it is for a good cause,”
he added.

blazer news
blazer talk@hotmail.com

mar ch 6, 2009

Is the WASL now a fossil?

03

Recently, the Washington Comprehensive Assessment Program (WCAP) was proposed to replace the WASL. This new test is broken into two sections – one for grades 3-8 and one for high
schoolers. Does the frequent changing of test standards help or hinder student achievement?

By Staff Writer Erin Adams

T

he WASL, a whirlwind of bewilderment for students with its ever-changing requirements, may
soon be relegated to the ages. This test has been
a source of inflammation among parents and students
alike, and has thus been an important issue in the Washington state legislature.
“I was elected on a promise to replace the WASL
with a fairer, less expensive system of measuring student learning,” said Randy Dorn, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, in a press release on Jan 21.

As of spring 2010 Dorn would like to see a new
system, the Washington Comprehensive Assessment
Program (WCAP), with two new tests: the Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) for grades 3-8 and
the High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE).

passed one or more sections of the WASL, and will be
able to forgo it entirely if they have passed the entire
thing.

Student reactions to the new change
In the past, students have had many complaints
against the WASL system. One of apparently dire imNew changes for the WASL
The new tests are shorter, with fewer constructed portance that would be solved by the new test is the
sheer size of the previous evaluresponse questions in all categories
ation. According to Taylor May,
and a faster turnabout due in part to
sophomore, “After too much you
the increasing use of computers for
After too much
kind of forget what you did wrong
the test. In addition, in the 2010you kind of forand what you did right.”
2011 year, elementary students will
get what you did
Aaron Knighten, junior, said,
have tests once at the beginning of
“It’s
difficult for me to remember
the school year and once at the end.
wrong and what
everything.”
These were commissioned under a
you did right.
Peter Cleveland, junior, confive-year assessment contract as of
curred with Knighten in this reOctober 2008.
– Taylor May
gard. They both agree that the
While legislation is still out on
sophomore
reading and writing tests seemed
some changes, it seems that
too easy as well, but that changby 2010 there
could be computer tests in some ing the WASL would not be good, because it increases
elementary grades for all pressure. “There will be people who struggle with it,”
but writing, which will be Cleveland said.
moved into high school The rather distressing state of the math passing rate
the next year. Statewide (only 45.6% for Timberline high school) could partly
computer testing is ex- be accounted for by its concurrence with the new math
pected to be in effect by curriculum. “I would blame it on the books that we
2012. “Our tests need had,” said junior David Lawrence. “The new system
to be tied to technology made it difficult for teachers to teach because they were
and provide immedi- learning it too.”
ate feedback to teachers so they can better WCAP could minimize feedback time
One complaint that students have is that the tests
assist their students.
Computerizing the return far too long after the test. According to Dorn,
tests will also require “Our view is that it should be in two weeks.” If this is
far less resources, possible, teachers will be able to alter student learning
both in time and plans based on results before the end of the year, and
money,” said Dorn students will know what they need to review before
in the same press they forget it entirely.
Even in its final throes, the WASL manages to crerelease. “The use
of technology may ate a challenge. As of 2006, freshmen were allowed to
register and take the test a year early, but this year they
rock your world.”
After this year were informed that this option was cancelled in order
it will not be man- to avoid nearly $500,000 in unfunded testing costs. Dedatory to pass the spite the additional start-up fees, the new tests would
be cheaper to maintain.
Illustration by Pascuala Esteban HSPE if they have

“

”

The WASL: Does it help or hinder learning?
“If you want to use it to show a student has done well at math, great.
I disagree with it being used as a
punitive measure denying graduation.”
John Wilson,
Math teacher

“The WASL has helped set goals
and I’ve seen students improve
their learning, but it eliminated
electives that I think are important
to be more well-rounded.”
Diane Weston,
Social Studies teacher